


Our Love's Epistle

by Moonlady9



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adult Content, Bullying, Coming of Age, Explicit Sexual Content, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, Loss of Virginity, Modern AU, Multi, Polyamory, Sexual exploration, Teenage sexuality, same age au, sexual awakening, violent bullying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:42:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23090416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlady9/pseuds/Moonlady9
Summary: Looking back, Sakura couldn't have imagined her life's story going the way it had gone. There was so much to tell, so much they had gone through, that lead to where they found themselves now.All the little notes, and letters, scribbles and rants they had written to each other laid out their hearts, bared for each other to see. They could never lie to each other, never deny the other, their connection pure and honest starting back from when they were children. Genma and Kakashi were her two constants in life, she could never live without them, and they could never live without her, no matter where life took them, their writings would always find a way to make it to each other.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi/Shiranui Genma, Haruno Sakura/Shiranui Genma
Comments: 150
Kudos: 169





	1. Thank You Note

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone,  
> New story here, I hope you enjoy it.  
> I will be honest, this one probably won't be my priority story and will be slow in updating but I hope you are patient and enjoy it nonetheless.  
> I've had this idea in my head since Fletcher's Heart Paradox, I knew I always wanted to come back to these three and tell a story, I had put it aside for a long time and just came back to it as inspiration struck.  
> Let me know your thoughts, they are great motivators to keep me writing.  
> Thank you!
> 
> Some warnings: as the story progresses I will be writing about teenagers having sexual awakenings, and underaged sex, if you aren't ok with that, this is not the story for you. I have other stories with adults if you would like to read something else by me.
> 
> Definitions:  
> Epistle: a letter, especially a formal or didactic one; written communication.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Mrs.Sakura Hatake for being a wonderful beta. ♥️♥️

“Your forehead is so big you can put a billboard on it!” they laughed as they pushed her. She fell on her butt, she was trying not to cry but her eyes betrayed her, tears falling down.

“Oh look billboard is crying!” the three boys and two girls circled around her. “Her forehead is empty, we should put something on it.” One boy pulled out markers from his backpack.

She tried to get up and run away but they pushed her down, the boy with the markers sat on her stomach as she kicked and screamed.

“Stop it! Please stop!” she cried. More traitorous tears fell as the marker came closer to her face. She couldn’t move, the others held her tight, she sobbed.

Suddenly the weight in her stomach was gone, she wiped her face, she heard shouting and screaming.

“Get away from her you jerks!” she saw a boy, long brown hair that reached his shoulders shoving some of the others away, then another boy, with odd silver white hair, pinning down the one that had been on top of her.

“Never touch her again, you understand?” she heard him snarl. The other boy ran off.

The brunette held out his hand to pull her to her feet. “Are you OK? Did they hurt you?”

She looked down at her dress to find it was dirty. Her mom was going to be mad. “I think I’m ok.” She mumbled shyly.

“I’m Genma, that’s Kakashi. What’s your name?” he pointed at the other boy that had helped.

“I’m Sakura.” She sniffled.

“How old are you?”

“I’m six.” She twisted her fingers.

“You’re in the grade lower than us. Why were they attacking you?” Kakashi came up to her.

She covered her forehead and looked down. “I don’t know, they don’t like my forehead.”

“That’s dumb.” Kakashi deadpanned.

“Didn’t you just move here?” Genma asked. She nodded. “We all live on the same street, come on we’ll walk you home.” Genma gave her a smile, she felt better, Kakashi grabbed her backpack from the floor, she followed.

They reached her house, Kakashi held out her backpack, she took it. “Next time kick them between their legs.” He waved at her as he walked away.

Genma chuckled, “Don’t listen to him, but it’s not a bad idea.” He ran off after his friend.

Sakura watched them leave, she hadn’t even said thank you. She turned and walked into her house.

“Sakura is that you?”

“Yes mom.” She put her backpack down and tried to straighten her dress and pat the dust from it.

Her mom appeared. “What were you doing? Look at you, you’re filthy. And that’s your new dress too. Sakura, I told you to be careful.”

Sakura hung her head, “I’m sorry mom.”

Her mom sighed, “Well go get cleaned up and do your homework.”

Sakura nodded and went to her room. She took off the dress and changed into shorts. She looked at herself in the mirror, she rubbed at her forehead as if willing it to be smaller. A few more angry tears escaped.

The next day they were flinging mud at her. “So that big forehead has a big brain behind it? Trying to be smarter than us?” a girl threw a glob that landed on her cheek.

“Just leave me alone.” Sakura said softly, her eyes stinging.

“What’s that?” they mocked her, “Now she can speak.” They cackled.

“She said leave her alone.” Genma and Kakashi appeared, they stood in front of her, protecting her. She hid behind Genma, holding on to his hoodie.

“Now leave you little shits or I’ll kick your ass!” Kakashi yelled at them, they ran off.

Sakura was shocked to hear those words come from his mouth. Her mom and dad never said things like that. Genma took her hand, “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

There was a park on the way home, she washed her face at the water fountain. Her shirt had mud all over it, there was nothing to do about it. “Why were they throwing mud at you?” Kakashi asked as they started walking.

She looked down at the road before her feet, she kicked a pebble. “Because I got the highest grade in the spelling test this week. The girl that usually gets the high score was mad at me.”

He scoffed in irritation. “That’s stupid. They’re stupid.”

Sakura shrugged, she just had wanted to make friends, her mom and dad had told her to make friends. She started crying. “No one wants to be my friend.”

“Hey, don’t say that, we’ll be your friends.” Genma stepped in front of her to look into her eyes, he smiled wide.

She hiccupped, Kakashi made a sound of affirmation. She wiped her face and nodded. Genma spent their walk trying to cheer her up, she was giggling as they reached her house, her mom was watering the garden, Sakura waved to them as they kept walking.

“Sakura, you have mud all over you!” her mom put down the hose and went to look at her. “You have mud in your hair, this is the third time this week you come home covered in dirt or mud. You need to be more careful while playing.”

Sakura hung her head, “I’m sorry mom.”

She sighed, “Honey, are the kids at school being nice to you?”

Sakura bit her lip, “Some of them are.”

“Those boys…”

“They’re my friends mom. They’re nice to me.” Sakura looked up to meet her mother’s eyes.

She breathed out, “Ok, but tell me if anyone isn’t being nice to you, honey.” Sakura nodded. “How about we make some cookies, and you can give them to your new friends. Maybe write them a note?”

Sakura smiled excitedly, “Yes mom, can we?”

She laughed, “Just get cleaned up first.” Sakura ran inside. They spent the afternoon making cookies.

During lunch time the next day, Sakura sat under a tree and pulled out her lunch box, it was snatched from her hands by one of the mean boys. “Hey that’s mine.” She cried out. She tried to look for the teacher, but they weren’t looking.

“Let’s see what you have for lunch Haruno.” The boy sneered, others joined him. He opened her box, “a sandwich, ham and mayo. Gross.” He dropped it and stepped on it.

“Stop it, that’s my lunch!” Sakura tried to reach for it, but someone held her back.

“Oh! you have three cookies.” He took them and dropped the rest of the contents.

“No! those aren’t for you!” she started crying. “Those are for my friends.”

They all laughed, “You don’t have any friends.” He took a cookie out of its wrappings he shoved it in his mouth, not noticing a note falling out.

They all walked away laughing as she sank to the grass crying. She picked up the note and put it in her pocket.

She flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Why is your lunch on the floor?” she looked up to see stormy eyes. She sobbed. “It was those assholes again wasn’t it?” she nodded. “Genma, come on.” Kakashi called and they ran after the boys.

Sakura stood up, she didn’t want them to fight, she didn’t want them to get in trouble. “No, you don’t have to.” She called out.

Genma and Kakashi caught up to them, Genma knocked the remaining cookie from the boy’s hand.

“That was my cookie!” he yelled at Genma.

“No, it wasn’t.” Kakashi shoved him to the ground. “You leave her alone.” Others came to defend the boy. Sakura reached them, standing behind her two protectors.

“Please don’t fight. You’ll get in trouble.” She pleaded.

“You need to fight for your friends.” Kakashi glared at the boy on the ground.

“Teachers are coming, run!” the others bolted, leaving Kakashi, Genma and Sakura.

“What’s going on?” the teacher asked, “Oh, it’s you two. Come on, let’s go to the principal’s office.”

“But they didn’t do anything wrong Mr. Iruka.” Sakura pleaded. “The others took my lunch.”

“That’s not excuse to hurt others. You too Sakura, we’re all going to the office.”

Sakura wanted to cry, she never got in trouble. She saw the cookie still on the floor and picked it up, it was the other cookie she had made for Kakashi and Genma, she pocketed it and followed.

They called all their parents. She sat between Genma and Kakashi as they waited.

“My grandma is going to be so mad.” Genma muttered.

“Dad is just going to be mad that he had to miss work.” Kakashi added.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want you to get in trouble.” Sakura grabbed their hands in apology.

“You didn’t get us in trouble.” Kakashi mumbled.

Their parents walked in; a curious look passed between the adults seeing their three children holding hands. They released hands, all three kids blushing.

“Want to tell us what happened?” The silver haired man looked at Kakashi, it must be his father.

“They were picking on her and took her lunch, I went to get it back.” Kakashi answered plainly.

“Is this true?” a stern older woman in a nurse’s uniform asked Genma.

“Yes Nana, they have been picking on her all week.” Genma looked up at her.

Sakura’s mom crouched down, “Honey, why didn’t you tell me that you were being picked on?”

Sakura looked down at her lap. “Because I didn’t want you to worry.”

She pulled her into her chest. “Oh honey, that’s not for you to worry about.” She looked over at the two boys. “Thank you for protecting her. Did she give you the cookies she made for you?”

They shook their heads. Sakura pulled out the one she had picked up and the other note. “I brought one for each of you but…” Kakashi took them from her hand, he gave the cookie to Genma and opened the note.

_Thank you for being my friend._

_-Sakura_

The parents sighed, “Well looks like we need to talk to the principal about bullying.” Kakashi’s father made a noise of tiredness deep in his chest. “Kakashi might be a little shit sometimes, but it’s nice to know he has a good heart.” He ruffled his son’s hair, Kakashi scowled.

The two women looked at him with narrowed eyes, “Maybe watch your language in front of the children Mr. Hatake.” Genma’s grandma scolded.

He laughed sheepishly, “You’re right. I forget myself, I apologize Mrs. Shiranui.” He turned to Sakura’s mother “And please, it’s Sakumo.”

“I’m Mebuki Haruno.” They shook hands.

The three children waited as the parents went to speak to the principal. Genma pulled out the cookie, it was chocolate chip. He broke it in thirds and gave everyone a piece. They all chewed quietly. They sat up as the door opened and the parents came out.

“Come on, we’re going home for the rest of the day.” Mebuki held out her hand, Sakura jumped down from the bench and took her mother’s hand. The rest followed.

“You can go back to work Nana, I can go home with Kakashi.” Genma said.

“Yeah dad, I can go with Genma.” Kakashi added.

Sakumo and Mrs. Shiranui looked at each other. “We’ll behave. Promise.” Genma pleaded.

“Why don’t the boys come to my house? The three of them are already such good friends it seems like.” Mebuki offered.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that.” Sakumo rested his hand on Kakashi’s head, to his son’s displeasure.

“Really, it’s no trouble at all.” She smiled at them, both adults agreed with tired nods.

“You better behave for Mrs. Haruno.” Nana reminded Genma.

“Yes Nana, promise.”

“You too.” Sakumo turned to his son.

Kakashi nodded. “All right.”

Sakura smiled and took their hands as they walked to her house. Genma smiled as Kakashi looked away in embarrassment.

“Honey, maybe you should let the boys go?” Mebuki chuckled.

“Oh.” Sakura hung her head.

“It’s ok.” Kakashi mumbled. They both held her hands tighter.

They quickly became inseparable, “Mom, I finished my homework, I’m going to play with Kakashi and Genma.” Sakura called out. She ran to her bike and found the boys in the woods, at their secret clubhouse. It was nothing more than a large tree with good branches they could climb, but it was theirs They were both lying on the ground watching the leaves. She dropped her bike and walked over to them. “Whatcha doing?”

“Just laying down, Kakashi was feeling lazy.” Genma answered.

She sat next to Kakashi, plucking at the grass. “Is it because today is…?”

Kakashi rolled on his side. “Dad locked himself in his room after we cleaned mom’s grave.”

Sakura knew today was his mother’s death day. “I brought you something.” She pulled out a package from her bag. He sat up and took it.

He opened it, it was a frame made of popsicle sticks, decorated with glitter, paint and little pom-poms. It had a picture of the three of them that her mom had taken.

Her face turned red at his silence. “It’s stupid.” She reached to take it back, but he moved it out of her reach.

“No, I like it.”

“I want one too.” Genma bemoaned.

She smiled. “I’ll make one for all of us.” She turned to Kakashi, “When my dad is having a bad day my mom gives him a kiss. Do you want one?” her cheeks pink.

Kakashi didn’t know what to say but seeing her wanting to cheer him up made him nod. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He closed his eyes, a warm soothing sensation flowed through him. She sat back and smiled. “Thanks.” He muttered.

Genma came up next to him, “I want one too. I had a bad day too.” Her presented his forehead to her. She giggled and kissed him too.

“What else does your mom do for your dad?” Kakashi asked.

She put her finger on her chin as she thought. “Well she cooks for him, she makes his favorite foods all the time. She hugs him, and holds his hand, they kiss on the lips when he leaves in the morning and comes home at night. One night my mom was crying and he danced with her until she stopped.”

“Sometimes when Nana is sad, she hugs me and kisses me. She says I’m all she has left.” Genma looked down at his hands.

Kakashi looked up at the sky. “I wonder what my mom was like. She died when I was still a baby. All I have is my dad, he’s nice but he’s always sad.”

“Maybe he needs a hug?” Sakura thought out loud.

Kakashi shrugged as he stood up, “I should get back.”

“Mom said to invite you both to dinner tomorrow.” She called after him. He nodded, jumped on his bike and left.

The next day they were sitting in the living room flipping through the channels, “Nana was watching that one the other day.” Genma stopped at a movie, a guy was proposing to the girl, she was crying while saying yes.

“I’ve never seen this.” Kakashi sat up.

“Mom likes this one, but I don’t pay attention.” Sakura stared at the screen. They all watched as the man and woman kissed passionately on screen.

“Ewwwe!” all three exclaimed in unison and then fell into a fit of giggles.

They changed the channel, it was a show, the wife putting dinner on the table as her husband came home from work. “Do you have to cook to be a wife?” Genma wondered.

“I like to help my mom cook. Maybe I’ll be a good wife.” She blushed.

They flipped the channel, an action movie, the man protecting a beautiful woman. “I’ve seen this one.” Kakashi stated. “He protects her because he loves her.”

“That’s romantic." she sighed with a smile. "You both have protected me before, does that make me your wife?” Sakura pondered.

Kakashi shook his head, “There has to be a proposal and a wedding.”

She deflated, “Oh, well marry me then.” He blushed furiously, she turned to Genma, “You too, I can be your wife too.”

Genma laughed, “I don’t think that’s how that works. In the movies she always has to pick one man in the end.”

She pouted. “No, I can’t pick, you’re both my best friends. I want you both.”

The door opened, her dad walked in. “Hey kids, what are you guys watching?” he put down his briefcase.

“Daddy, I want to marry both Kakashi and Genma.” Sakura proclaimed just as her mother came in from the kitchen.

“You want to what?” both her parents stared at her as the boys looked down in embarrassment.

Her dad laughed. “Well she would have a spare husband.”

Her mother chuckled, “Kizashi.” She playfully hit him with a kitchen towel as she admonished him.

“They’re kids. Let them have their fun. It’s innocent. Probably watching your romance movies.” He kissed his wife in greeting and went to sit on the couch. “Now boys, being a husband isn’t easy. You always have to make sure your wife is happy, some days are easier than others. Do you think you can be a good husband?”

Kakashi and Genma looked at each other in thought. “I think I can.” Genma answered. Kakashi nodded after him.

“What happens when she’s not happy?” Kakashi asked.

Kizashi let out a long breath and a chuckle, “Then you have to find a way to make her happy.” He picked up the control and flipped the channel to a cop drama.

“Come on.” She pulled at Kakashi and Genma, “We can get married outside.”

They both looked at each other and shrugged, they were very bad at denying her anything, she seemed so happy. She grabbed a white blanket with yellow flowers and put it over her head like a veil and plucked a rose from the garden. They stood in a circle as the sun started to set.

“How do the words go again?” she thought, “Oh I remember, do you Genma and Kakashi take me to be your wife forever.”

Genma chuckled, he felt silly, “Sure.”

Kakashi nodded.

“You have to say yes.” She whispered to him.

“Oh, um, yes.” His ears turned red.

“And do you take us to be your husbands?” Genma asked back.

Sakura beamed, “Yes! We’ll be together forever!” she grabbed their hands and started spinning in a circle until they were dizzy and tumbled on the grass laughing.

By the amazing <https://kakashi-in-my-hatake.tumblr.com/> also on twitter as <https://twitter.com/tanger33n2>


	2. Miss You Missive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> I know, it's been a while, I did warn that I wouldn't be updating this one very often, with Sex and Candy, and other projects. I love this idea, it's just going to take a long time, so thanks for your patience. I hope when I do update, that it's quality over quantity.
> 
> Special thanks to Empress Nariko for being a wonderful beta!
> 
> Let me know your thoughts!  
> I aprreciate it all!  
> Stay safe and spread positivity.

“Sakura, we're twelve now. We’re starting secondary school, so we can’t walk holding hands anymore.” Genma pulled his hand from hers—her eyes were as large as saucers, sparkling with unshed tears. “Oh, don’t cry Sakura. We have to grow up. We’re not kids anymore, right, Kakashi?” He looked to his friend for help, but Kakashi was still holding on to Sakura’s hand.

Kakashi took a bite of his apple and shrugged. “I don’t care. I’m not trying to be popular.”

“You’re just saying that because she gave you an apple,” Genma groused.

“Kakashi is now my favorite husband.” She stuck her tongue out at Genma playfully as she leaned into Kakashi’s side.

“And that; that needs to stop. That was years ago we were like six, you can't keep calling us your husbands.” Genma saw that he was in a losing battle. Kakashi was uninterested in this conversation and was just eating his apple stoically, while Sakura was giving him big hurtful eyes as she clung to Kakashi. Genma sighed. “We’re going to different schools now. Things will be different.”

Sakura breathed out sadly. “I know, I was just hoping we could have one last time.” She pulled out two cookies wrapped in wax paper, there was a note attached. They reached the street corner. She gave them their cookies. “Yours is bitter chocolate Kakashi. Have a good day at school.” She let go of Kakashi’s hand and started walking away from them.

“Sakura,” Genma called out for her to turn around. “You’re my favorite,” Genma teased. She grinned and waved goodbye to them.

Her first day of sixth grade felt so lonely without being able to see Kakashi and Genma during lunch time. She knew Genma was right—they were getting older; they couldn’t play stupid childish games anymore. She would have to walk home alone since their school got out later than hers did. Maybe they would stop by her house after their school got out, so that could continue doing their homework together.

Sakura rushed home and stared at the clock. It was little past three and the boy’s school wouldn’t get out for another 30 minutes. She did her homework slowly, but it was four by the time she was finished. She had her head down on the table when her mother came up.

“Are you missing Kakashi and Genma?” she asked as she brushed back Sakura’s hair. Sakura nodded. Mebuki sat down next to her daughter. “I know they are your best friends and you all have spent every day together since we moved here, but they go to another school now. They are going to have longer school days and have more homework, which means that they will have less time to play with you. That doesn’t mean you are not friends. Next year you’ll go to the same school again.”

“I know,” Sakura mumbled dejectedly. “What if they meet a new girl and they like her better and forget about me?” The thought now voiced made her panic.

“Oh sweetie, don’t worry about that. They would never forget about you, but they may meet new friends and you might too. There’s nothing wrong with having more friends.” She gave her daughter a hopeful smile.

Sakura perked up as she heard the doorbell ring. She grinned and ran to open the door, Kakashi and Genma were at the door.

They smiled at her. “It’s kinda weird doing homework without you.” Genma scratched his neck sheepishly.

“Yes, it was. Come in.” She couldn’t stop the giddiness in her heart as they settled around the table to work.

“And, um, thanks for these. It was nice.” Kakashi held out the note from her cookies.

_Have a good first day. I’m going to miss you._

_—Sakura_

“It was weird without you. We missed you too.” Genma gave her a shy smile.

Change wasn’t easy. Sakura missed her boys at school and without them around she had to learn to stick up for herself.

“Your knights in shining armor aren’t here to protect you anymore, Haruno,” one of the mean girls sneered as Sakura walked by.

Sakura sighed. She had a long day filled with tests and the last thing she wanted to deal with were these bullies on her walk home. “Who says I need them to protect me from your lame remarks.” Maybe she could channel a bit of Kakashi’s no nonsense snark.

The girl pulled on Sakura’s backpack causing her to stumble, but she caught herself before she fell. She turned to face the other girl. “You got a problem, Tayuya? Pissed off that I got a higher score on the test again?” Sakura glared back.

The red-haired girl laughed. “Good to know that your big forehead holds a brain. The only thing you have to offer boys is your personality because your looks aren’t going to work. At least not with a flat chest and a big forehead.”

Sakura tisked. “At least I won’t only be wanted for what’s between my legs.” She had heard someone make that remark once, not sure what it meant but it got the reaction she wanted.

Tayuya bared her teeth. “You little bitch.”

Sakura had barely time to step back as Tayuya swung her arm forward to slap her face. She tried to mimic the moves the boys had taught her when she joined in their play fighting. She lifted her leg and landed in the other girl’s stomach. Tayuya cried out in pain, hunched over. “They taught me how to fight and take care of myself, so don’t think I won’t kick your ass if you continue to mess with me.” Sakura turned on her heels and left.

With her heart pounding in her throat, Sakura ran to their tree in the woods. She was going to get in trouble. She knew she would, but it felt so good when her foot connected with Tayuya and even better when she was bent over holding her midsection. Taking a calming breath, Sakura took a moment to slow her heart before heading home.

She did her best to not show her mom the rushing adrenaline of action and fear that was coursing through her. Luckily, her mother was occupied in the garden while Sakura finished her homework quickly and quietly.

“Mom, I’m going out to meet Kakashi and Genma,” she called out as she slipped on her shoes, needing to get away from her eagle-eyed mother.

“Sure, just be back for dinner and don’t go too far.”

“Okay, Mom.” Sakura agreed as she ran out. Her mom had an uncanny way of knowing when something was wrong, and she didn’t want to give her mother a chance to question her. Kakashi and Genma were getting out of school around this time so she ran across the park to meet them on their way home.

Sakura stopped suddenly when she saw Kakashi and Genma facing off another pair of boys. She knew those other boys—they were Tayuya’s brother and his friend. She ran forward, pushing her way through the circle of kids to stand behind Kakashi and Genma.

“That little bitch!” A dark-haired boy called out while pointing at her.

“She kicked me!” Tayuya accused her while she stood beside her brother.

Genma and Kakashi turned to look at Sakura, they grinned. “You kicked her?”

Sakura nodded mutely. Unsure if she should feel pride or fear. “She tried to hit my face.”

Kakashi affectionately ruffled her hair as he turned back to his opponents. Genma squeezed her hand before turning with a look of determination. Both of her boys sported a smirk.

“Our girl beat yours.” Kakashi declared with a deadpan look.

The other boy, tall and imposing, orange tufts of hair, didn’t say anything and swung his arm, aimed at Kakashi’s face.

Kakashi easily ducked the sluggish punch in the air. “You’re as slow as ever, Jirobo.”

Sakura clenched her own fists—she didn’t want them to fight, but at the same time she understood that they were both standing up for her. She felt the need to fight with her friends.

In a frenzied moment the dark-haired boy, Kidomaru, lunged at Genma. They ended up locked together, trying to shove the other off. Kakashi and Jirobo were now throwing punches, and in the back Tayuya was screaming encouragements and insults.

Sakura couldn’t stand it anymore. Tayuya’s shrill voice that taunted her in the halls at school, that cackled behind her back when she walked past. Sakura didn’t even know she was moving before she felt herself tackle Tayuya to the ground.

Tayuya screeched, trying to punch and claw at Sakura. However, Sakura had managed to pin her down, taking advantage of how unprepared and surprised Tayuya was. Sakura’s hair was flying everywhere, making it hard to see what she was doing. She felt hits and scratches on her arms and legs, but Sakura refused to let go, clenching onto the other girl’s collar.

“Get off me, you stupid bitch!” the red-head screamed trying to buck her off.

Sakura shook her opponent. “I’m not stupid and I’m not a bitch!” She felt her palm connect with something. Tayuya screamed in pain and moved her arms up to protect her face. Sakura didn’t know what overtook her, but her hands kept coming down in a blind rage.

Sakura felt strong arms snag her around her midsection and pulled her away, but she clenched on to what she could: clothes, hair, and limbs. She was done accepting abuse from Tayuya.

“Sakura!” Firm hands shook her shoulders and then pushed her hair out of her face.

She stopped yelling; unaware she had been doing it. She opened her eyes, sets of chocolate and stormy eyes watching her in worry but the tug on their lips betrayed their pride.

“Let’s get out of here.” Genma pulled her by the hand as Kakashi grabbed their bags.

Sakura heard Kakashi say something to the other three before he followed. The three of them ran back to their tree.

Genma enveloped her in a firm hug, all the while laughing with glee. “Did you see their faces?”

Sakura’s heart was still lodged in her throat. The pulsing beat flooded her body. Kakashi stepped up to her, brushing back her hair once more.

“You got a few scratches on your face.” He looked her over. “Are you okay?”

She looked at her hands, her arms, and legs. “Mom is going to be so mad.”

Kakashi chuckled. “Well nothing to do about it now. You did what you had to do.”

“And it was awesome!” Genma cheered. He gave her a kiss on the cheek from excitement. “Where did that even come from? One moment you're standing frozen, the next you were kicking her ass!” he said as he mimicked the punches into the air.

Sakura laughed nervously, “I don’t know. I just couldn’t let you two fight alone when you were fighting for me.” She looked up at them, Kakashi had a scratch on his brow, Genma one on his cheek. “And I couldn’t stand hearing her voice for one more second.” She grinned back. “It felt good.”

“You were great,” Kakashi praised. “And hopefully they stop being shits to you now that she knows you can kick her ass.”

She took both their hands, pulling them closer to her. She gave them each a grateful kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.”

The boys tried to hide the blooming pinkness across their cheeks, busying themselves with putting themselves back together.

“We should get going. Lots of homework.” Kakashi held out his hand, she took it and grabbed Genma’s as they walked back.

They had grown accustomed to going to Sakura’s after school, Genma’s Nana and Kakashi’s dad were home later, so it worked out. They walked into the house as quietly as they could, trying their best to avoid the inevitable. Sakura’s mom heard the door and came out from the kitchen to investigate.

“I have snacks—What happened?” Mebuki looked over the three, disheveled, dirty and covered with the evidence of a fight.

“Um, we got into a fight.” Seeing her mom’s eyes harden, Sakura continued, “There was someone being mean to me.”

“Yeah and then there were two other boys,” Genma continued.

“Sakura kicked butt,” Kakashi finished.

Mebuki held back the laugh she wanted to release after the flash of anger and concern passed. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up while you tell me everything.”

Once they were all cleaned up and their story told, they sat at the kitchen table eating some fruit. “I hope we’re not going to make this a habit.” Mebuki gave them all a stern look.

“We didn’t pick the fight, we were just defending ourselves, Mrs. Haruno.” Genma looked at Sakura.

“They swung first,” Kakashi reasoned.

Mebuki smiled at them, “As long as you are defending each other, I supposed I can’t be too mad.” She couldn’t help the small glow of pride at the three, still united and protecting each other, and Sakura, learning how to stand up for herself and her friends. She let them have ice cream.

“Nana, what are you making?” Sakura asked as she peeked into the bowl. They had agreed to have a sleep over at Genma’s that weekend since there was going to be a meteor shower.

Nana smiled as Sakura sidled up beside her. “I am making onigiri.”

“Oh! Can I help?” Sakura loved helping Nana cook.

“Of course.” Nana gave her the bowl of rice. “Take it to the table and I’ll bring the rest. Genma! Kakashi!” she called out to the boys.

“Yes, Nana?” the boys said in unison as they both appeared.

“Wash your hands, we’re making onigiri.”

After they cleaned up and settled at the table, everyone got to work.

“Kakashi, you’re really good at making rice balls,” Sakura exclaimed.

Genma looked at his onigiri critically. “How do you get them to that shape?”he muttered.

“You just use the palm of your hand,” Kakashi said as he demonstrated to the other two. The other two tried to copy him to the best of their ability, but Kakashi saw Genma still struggling. Kakashi let out an exasperated breath, reached over to the other boy’s hands and adjusted them. “Like this.”

Genma let Kakashi move his hands and show him. “Oh! That’s better!” the brunet said grinning.

They spent the afternoon making shapes with the onigiri. Sakura proudly showed a flower shape with pink salmon overlaying the rice, “Look, like my name!”

“That’s so cool. I want to make a car.” Genma set to work.

Once all the onigiri were made, they set up blankets out in the backyard to watch the meteors. Sakura always liked to come over to Genma’s house, since his Nana had a nice garden with lots of pretty flowers and trees. The three of them laid on the blanket, as Nana sat on her chair reading, watching over them.

Staring at the dark sky, Genma pointed toward a section of the stars. “I was named after that constellation.”

Kakashi and Sakura followed his fingers. “You were named after stars?”

“Yeah, it’s so dumb.”

“It’s not dumb,” Kakashi, Sakura, and Nana said in unison.

Nana piped up, “Your parents named you after the Genma constellation because your father and mother thought of you as their jewel, the meaning of your name. They had been trying to have you for a long time. It’s a shame they aren’t here to see what a good son you have become.” She gave him a warm smile, looking up into the sky.

Genma looked back at the stars, “I know they love me, Nana. I wish they could meet Kakashi and Sakura too.” He grinned at the two.

Nana sniffled, a kind smile on her face. “I’m sure they would love Kakashi and Sakura.”

Kakashi and Sakura both reached for Genma’s hands and kept watching the stars.

They stayed up late, making smores and making up ghost stories. Eventually Nana ushered them inside to sleep, they had set up a fort with pillows and blankets, they crawled under and fell asleep, even after fighting that they weren’t tired.

Sakura rolled in her sleep and hit Genma on the chest.

“Stop it…” he mumbled sleepily, he held her hand so she wouldn’t hit him again.

Somewhere in the night, Kakashi noticed Sakura was shivering in her sleep, he pulled the blanket tighter over her and snuggled close to her back. Her hair smelled nice.

Nana woke them up the next morning, they were sprawled over each other, limbs tangled together. They groggily got up to help Nana with breakfast.

“Did you all have fun?” Nana asked as she served them pancakes.

Kakashi nodded. “It was fun, thank you for letting us stay, Nana.”

Nana ruffled his hair. “You’re so sweet, Kakashi. Always remember to be nice when you can.”

He gave her a small smile. “Yes, Nana.”

“Can we have sleep-overs every weekend?” Sakura exclaimed.

Genma agreed eagerly, “Oh, it would be so much fun! We can switch houses every weekend!”

“Well that would depend on your parents.” Nana sat down and watched the three eat, excited at this new idea to stay together.

After spending the night talking about stars and his parents, Genma was feeling like he needed to pay his parents a visit. “Nana, can we go visit Mom and Dad? And maybe they can meet Kakashi and Sakura.”

Nana smiled at him, ruffling his hair. “Of course, we can get some flowers and take them.” She turned to the other two. “You three can pick your favorite flowers from the garden while I clean up.”

Sakura ran around picking the most colorful flowers she could find. Kakashi liked the white ones and Genma looked for the prettiest ones. After putting a bouquet together, they walked to the cemetery. Sakura noticed that both of the boys were quieter than usual—Genma seemed pensive and Kakashi looked like he was far away. This was probably not an easy journey for them. She stepped between them and took their hands.

“I’m excited to meet your parents Genma. I hope they like me.” She smiled warmly at him.

He returned her smile. “I know they will. Nana says they were very nice and happy people. Always laughing and joking. Everyone loved them and they loved everyone.”

“They sound like wonderful people,” Sakura said kindly.

Genma hummed and nodded. When they reached the gravestone he pulled out a picture of them as Nana set up incense.

They all bowed in silent prayer. Sakura looked up at the picture of Genma’s parents and saw that it was their wedding picture. The man had dark brown hair and deep mahogany eyes while the woman had auburn hair with hazel eyes. They were both smiling, their love almost palpable in the photo.

“Hi Mom and Dad. I, um, wanted to bring my best friends to meet you. This is Kakashi and Sakura.” There was a slight pinkness across his cheeks. He was unsure how his friends would react.

Sakura smiled wide, as she directed her words to the stone holding the smiling couples photograph. “It’s nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Shiranui. I promise to take care of Genma as best I can. He’s a really good friend, and he always makes me laugh, and he’s always there when I need him.”

Kakashi stared mutely at the photo. He sensed they were waiting on him. “Um, nice to meet you.”

Nana came up and put down the bouquet, plucking out the prettiest white lily that Kakashi had chosen. She gave it to him.

Kakashi looked at her in question.

“If you want to give it to your mom,” she said, her voice full of comfort.

He nodded slowly.

“We will wait for you here.” Genma encouraged.

Kakashi gave him a grateful nod and walked down the aisles of graves.

Sakura looked up at Genma, “Should we go with him?”

Genma shook his head, “No, he likes to visit his mom alone. I tried to come with him once and he got upset.”

She looked behind her to see Kakashi’s silver hair behind the stones. “Oh, okay.” She turned back to the photograph, “Your mom was very pretty.”

Genma grinned, “Yeah, she was.”

“And your dad was very handsome.”

He chuckled. “And he was funny. Or so Nana says. I was only two when they died. I don’t remember them,” he finished sadly.

“You have the best of both of them.” Nana placed her hand on his shoulder. “Charming like your dad and smart like your mom. They would be proud of you. Just like I am.”

Kakashi was walking back. Sakura noticed him wipe his face before he got to them. She went up to him and hugged him. He tensed up. “How was your mom?”

Kakashi relaxed, Sakura always had a way of making him feel more at ease. “I told her about you.”

She stepped back taking his hand, “I would love to meet her someday too.”

“I told her about your notes you leave for us in our backpacks when we’re not looking.” He smiled softly as they walked back to Genma and Nana.

“I’m glad you like them. Sometimes I worry you think I’m being dumb,” she laughed in self-depreciation.

He squeezed her hand. “I really like them. I don’t tell you enough but thank you for them.”

They joined Genma and Nana and walked back. Sakura felt so much closer to her boys. Sharing such difficult parts of their lives with her. 

* * *

Some beautiful art from the intensely talented Seth! Please go over to his tumblr and see his talent and let him know how amazing he is!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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> Your words keep me writing, I appreciate every single one, even if its a single emoji, in a different language, it doesn't have to be long winded if you don't want, just let me know your feelings. I do go back and read them when I need some motivation.  
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	3. Sweet Scrawls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,  
> Here is an update to this little story of mine.  
> Thanks to Empress_Nariko, for always making the time to beta this story!!  
> I hope you enjoy.

Sakura looked at herself in the mirror in her new uniform. She grinned, it was her first day of secondary school and she was finally going to be with Genma and Kakashi. One last look at herself, she adjusted her headband, grabbed her bag, and headed down for breakfast.

Her mom was flipping pancakes as Sakura came in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Morning mom.”

“Morning, honey. Why don’t you put your lunch together? And the cookies you made are on the counter.”

Sakura did as she was told, getting her lunch ready. She grabbed the cookies; three for special days like today. The two for the boys were wrapped up in a note.

She was finishing breakfast when the doorbell rang. Excitedly, she jumped from her chair, grabbed her lunch and bag, and ran out the door. 

“Bye mom,” she shouted.

“Bye honey, have a good day at school,” her mom called back.

Kakashi and Genma were outside, waiting for her to walk to school together. She skipped the last step as the door closed behind her. Impatience bubbled over as she smiled wide at the two. 

“We’re finally going to the same school again!” She was elated that they were reunited. 

Genma placed his arm over her shoulders with a grin. “It’s going to be great. I’ll show you around.”

“We can have lunch together,” Kakashi added as he walked beside them.

Sakura hooked her arm through his. “I am so happy we’re together again.”

Both boys laughed. “You say that like we have been separated for years. In the one year that we went to different schools, we still saw each other every day after. Things aren’t going to be that different.” Genma ran his fingers through his shoulder-length hair.

Kakashi chuckled. “Still, it’s nice to be together at school. I hope you get Akamichi-sensei, he’s very nice.”

“Nara-sensei is tough but fair,” Genma continued.

Sakura beamed as she walked between them to school, hoping she would have all the wonderful teachers they had. The moment she stepped into the building, she breathed it in. High school was going to be great; she could just feel it.

After they helped her find her homeroom, she watched them walk off. She took a deep breath and walked into the classroom and quickly found her seat. Sakura was glad she was next to the window and in the middle. As she looked around at the other students, she recognized some faces from her last school.

Her eyes shot up when the door opened again and there was a loud boisterous laugh, followed by an unenthusiastic comeback. Three students she hadn’t seen before took their assigned seats. A serious blonde girl with short hair in spiky pigtails, a smiling brunet with his hair short with some maroon eyeliner smudged under his eyes. Following behind them was a red-haired boy, with shaggy unkept hair, and dark circles under his eyes, he had a look of utter disdain of his pale face.

Sakura wondered who the trio could be. They hadn’t gone to her previous school, but the three seemed close as they stayed together and sat in the seats behind her. The brunet sat directly behind her taking the window seat, but the redhead went to stand beside the boy’s desk.

“I want that seat.” The redhead was shorter than the other two, but the commanding tone in his voice made Sakura think that he held the most sway.

The other boy scoffed a whine, “But you always sit next to the window, Gaara.”

“Let him have the window, Kankuro.” The girl snapped.

A grumble and complaint followed as Kankuro moved seats. “You always take his side, Temari.”

“How about we try not to cause any trouble on the first day of school.” She picked her seat next to Gaara and Kankuro took the seat on the other side of her.

Sakura deduced they were related somehow and Temari was the peacemaker between the two boys. She turned around slowly, she wasn’t great at meeting new people, but she wanted to try. “Hi, I’m Sakura Haruno.”

“I’m Kankuro.” The brunet smiled.

“I’m Temari and that’s Gaara.” She pointed at the red head who was pointedly ignoring the world and staring out of the window.

Sakura gave them her best smile, “It’s nice to meet you. Are you all friends?”

“We’re siblings, triplets,” Gaara answered curtly, never moving his eyes from whatever he was watching outside.

“Oh, that must be interesting,” Sakura said politely.

Kankuro chuckled. “You could say that.”

Before the conversation could continue, the bell rang, and everyone moved to their seats as the teacher came in to start class. Sakura kept to herself for the rest of class, trying to absorb everything she could on her first day. By the time the lunch time bell rang, she looked forward to a mental break, some food, and spending time with Kakashi and Genma.

She made her way to the cafeteria, looking around at the bustle of kids everywhere. There were so many, she didn’t even know where to look for the boys. Maybe they would find her—at least she hoped they did. With that thought, she chewed her lip nervously as she walked around the cafeteria looking for a spot to sit.

Finding a solitary table, she sat down pulling out her lunch and a book. She was startled when she heard a tray scrape along the table. Expecting it to be Kakashi and Genma she was surprised instead to see the siblings she met earlier. Kankuro and Gaara slid in front of her while Temari sat beside her.

“I hope you don’t mind, there’s nowhere else to sit.” Kankuro smiled sheepishly.

With no other options Sakura nodded, “It’s okay. Are you guys new to the area?”

Temari pulled out the bentos for her brothers and handed them out. “Yeah, we just moved from Suna. Our father thought it would be good for us to get to know Konoha, so he sent us here to study.”

“He’s just doing it for politics, we’re just his pawns,” Kankuro gripped as he started eating.

“Politics?” Sakura asked.

“Our father is the Kazekage. Sending us to study in Konoha shows how strong our alliance with Konoha is,” Temari explained.

Sakura was intrigued by Gaara who ate silently, not really paying attention to the conversation. “So, you’re all triplets. Who’s the oldest?”

Temari chuckled, “Me, then Kankuro, and lastly Gaara.”

“I’m a single child. I’ve always wondered what it was like to have siblings,” Sakura mused.

Gaara scoffed under his breath while Kankuro laughed. “You love us, and you know it, Gaara.”

Sakura liked the three siblings and their squabbling, they reminded her of Genma, Kakashi and herself.

“There you are! We were looking for you.” Genma smiled brightly as he sat on the other side of Sakura, Kakashi beside him.

“Oh, I got a little overwhelmed and lost so I just sat down, and my classmates joined me,” she explained.

They all took a moment and introduced themselves. Sakura pulled out the wrapped cookies and gave them to the boys. “Here, happy first day of school.”

Kakashi took his gratefully; he grabbed the note, read it, and tucked it into his pocket with a small smile. Genma unwrapped his, taking a bite and reading the note. 

“I’m happy too,” he grinned. 

Sakura blushed. She was glad when everyone settled into easy conversation and finished their lunch. It seemed she had, hopefully, made some new friends.

High school life was busy. In her first month, she joined the swim team and the science club, all the while studying more to keep up with her immaculate grades. There were often study sessions with the siblings and Genma and Kakashi. There were so many exciting things happening, new things to learn, new things to try, new people to meet. 

So far, school had been mostly great.

It was interesting to see how life was for Kakashi and Genma and how that affected her. It was weird that girls would come up to her and ask about her relationship with both or ask her random questions.

“Does Kakashi _like_ anything?” Sakura repeated back to one girl not sure she understood what she was asking her, “Of course he likes things, what kind of question is that?”

“Oh, he just always is so quiet and hardly shows any interest in anything. I thought maybe you could tell me something he likes.” The girl blushed.

The girls would ask the most mundane things.

“Does Genma have a girlfriend?”

“Is Kakashi always so quiet?”

“What’s Genma’s favorite color?”

“What’s Kakashi’s favorite food?”

“What’s his favorite band?”

“Does he like blondes?”

Sakura was annoyed at all the attention she was receiving over the two boys.

“Hey, why don’t all of you beat it and find out for yourselves. Leave her alone.” Temari stepped in one day as Sakura was surrounded by a gaggle of girls.

A few girls scoffed. “She just wants to keep them to herself. Selfish slut, you could share. You don’t need both,” one sneered.

Temari growled, standing tall as she turned to face the other girl. “Want to say that again?”

The other girls turned on their heels haughtily and walked away leaving Sakura with the reminder that even if Tayuya wasn’t around to torment her, there would always be others that would.

As much fun as high school was, old troubles seemed to follow Sakura. Her new bullies were now girls that had crushes on Genma, Kakashi, Kankuro and even Gaara. Others were upset that she was such close friends to the famous Sand Siblings. Sakura did her best to not let it get to her. It helped that she had friends who were usually around and stood up for her. 

It also seemed that bullying in high school was a different beast than before. It slithered in the underneath—it wasn’t open and overt. It was scathing glances, and sardonic whispers as she walked by. Sakura wasn’t sure which she would have preferred. If they attacked her, she could at least punch back, but this? How was she supposed to deal with petty, jealous girls?

One day, Sakura was doing extra laps in the pool since she was the weakest on the team. She refused to stay that way, so she convinced her coach to let her practice more to become a stronger swimmer. As she stepped out of the pool, Sakura didn’t hear the group coming up to her at the edge of the pool as she took out her ear plugs and goggles. All she felt was a hard shove that sent her falling backwards into the shallow end of the pool, then a starburst of colors across her eyes, while pain radiated from the back of her skull. Through the distortion of the water she could barely make out a few figures as they walked off, laughs muffled by the water. The water started to turn red before she blacked out.

Her throat burned as she coughed up water, trying to open her eyes was a monumental task, and somewhere in the distance she could hear voices. It was all a blur, and then it was dark again.

When she woke up, it was slow and painful. The mattress was too firm, the incessant beeping was loud and reverberated in her skull. Her eyelids felt heavy as she tried to open them, the light hurt, all she could do was groan.

“Sakura! You’re awake! Mrs. Haruno, Nana, she’s awake.” Sakura could recognize Genma’s voice.

Kakashi’s hand was warm and gentle as he reached for her fingers.

She was surrounded by her parents, Genma, Kakashi, and Nana in her scrubs.

“Honey, are you okay?” her mother’s strained voice came through.

“Just—my head hurts,” Sakura rasped out.

“Here sweetie, drink some water.” Nana sat her up slowly, pressing a cup to her lips.

After a few sips, Sakura felt good enough to open her eyes and look around. She was at the hospital, the throb of pain brought back the memory of the pool. 

“How did I get here?”

“Someone saw you floating in the pool, called an ambulance and pulled you out,” her father answered, his voice thick with worry.

Then her mother started crying. “Oh, honey! I’m so happy you’re awake. We were so worried.” She kissed Sakura’s forehead gently.

Nana looked over her vitals, after her mother had calmed down. “You had a concussion, and you got a few staples on the back of your head, so make sure not to scratch them out. I’m going to talk to the doctor.”

Her parents followed Nana out of the room. Kakashi and Genma sat beside her in bed, both of their faces full of concern, they’re eyes red like they had been crying. She reached for their hands and held them tightly.

“I’m okay, really. Just hurts everywhere.”

“There was blood all over you when you came in,” Genma sniffled.

Kakashi stayed quiet, staring at their joined hands. He hated hospitals. He knew his mother had died on one of these beds sometime long ago. It was hard to be here, but he couldn’t leave Sakura. He wouldn’t. 

“Nana let us stay while they did tests and put you in machines and hooked you up to these.” Kakashi said quietly.

All three adults came back together. “You’re going to stay overnight for observation,” Nana informed after checking her pupils, then looking over her chart.

“Boys, I can take you home,” her dad offered.

They both shook their heads. “No, we’re not leaving Sakura alone here,” Kakashi declared.

Genma nodded in agreement. “Nana, you have the overnight shift today, right? So you can keep an eye on us, right? And Sakumo already knows Kakashi is here. We’ll be good. Please?”

The adults exchanged glances and slowly, their expressions softened to small smiles. “As long as you three behave. Sakura needs to sleep, so you two need to let her rest.”

“Why don’t you go home, Darling? I’ll stay with the kids.” Kizashi gave his wife’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.

“No, I’ll stay.” She went to sit on a chair with every intention of staying there.

Kizashi sighed, taking the seat next to his wife. They reached for each other’s hands as she leaned her head on his shoulder and watched the kids. 

“You remember when the kids were little, and Sakura said she wanted to marry both of them because she couldn’t choose?”

Mebuki chuckled lightly. “They were so little and adorable back then.”

“They’re still little, but the older they get, the more inseparable they become.”

She looked over at the boys fussing over at Sakura, remembering their tears of worry and fear when they heard about Sakura. They had run into the hospital going to the nurses’ station, Genma looking for Nana, not relenting until she brought them in to see Sakura. Once the boys got in to see her, they stayed, quietly watching over her like hawks. They were vigilant as the doctors and nurses came in periodically. If she was taken out of the room for x-rays and other tests, they followed, not letting her out of their sights. It was a devotion not often seen.

“They’re lucky to have each other,” Mebuki mused quietly to her husband.

“Nana said you need to rest,” Genma reminded Sakura.

Nana chuckled. “Alright you two, watch her. Come get me if you need anything.” She left the room since she had other patients to attend to.

Sakura laid down slowly, not letting go of Kakashi or Genma. They had no choice but to curl up in the bed beside her as she fell asleep. Genma held her small hand, listening to her breathing as she slipped into unconsciousness. He glanced at Kakashi noticing the same look of worry on his face. 

“She’s so strong.”

Kakashi nodded. “Yeah, she is.”

“Still, it’s hard to see her here, like this. Makes me think of mom and dad.” Genma wondered what it would have been like to see them, hurt and dying in one of these rooms. Suddenly, he felt a great ache and new understanding and appreciation for Nana.

Kakashi reached across Sakura to the other boy, squeezing his shoulder. “Yeah, makes me think of my mom too. Sick, fragile. I understand why my dad doesn’t talk about her, but sometimes, I wish I would know more about her.”

“Nana, always tells me hospitals do more good than bad, they are places of healing.” The brunet patted Kakashi’s hand on his shoulder. “Sakura is healing and that’s good.”

Kakashi nodded. “I hate that we weren’t there to protect her.”

“If I ever find out who did it…” The threat felt sharp and bitter in his mouth.

“When _we_ find out… for now she needs to get better.” Kakashi patted him placatingly.

He nodded, they both laid down next to her, sleeping lightly and uneasily in the small bed, but sharing in the comfort of their warmth.

Before she was discharged the next day, they were surprised to see Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro visiting her at the hospital.

“What are you guys doing here?” Sakura asked.

“We wanted to make sure you were okay,” Temari said kindly. Kankuro gave her a small toy marionette.

She giggled, “Thank you, how did you know I was here?”

“Gaara was the one that found you.” Kankuro smiled over at Gaara who was trying his best to disappear into the shadows.

“Thank you.” Sakura tried to impart as much sincerity as she could. She was rewarded with a gruff nod.

“Good to see you’re alive,” he responded.

Temari laughed. “My brother is as polite as ever. Anyways, we know who did it. Gaara saw, and they are going to be expelled from school.”

“That’s good,” Kakashi said succinctly. 

Sakura almost asked who it was, but decided against it, she would find out eventually. Right now, she wanted to shower and go home to her own bed.

When she arrived home, her dad carried her up to her bed while her mom brought her soup, and Kakashi and Genma hovered around, unwilling to leave her side. In the days that followed, they sat at the foot of her bed, reading, or watching tv quietly; trying to keep her entertained while helping to take care of her.

“I love you both. Thank you for being here.” She was beyond grateful for her two best friends. She knew they would always be by her side caring for her, and she would do the same for them.

“We love you too.” Genma reached over to place a soft kiss on her forehead.

“We’re here, always.” Kakashi squeezed her hand as she fell back asleep.

School changed drastically by the time that she returned. It seemed that the ones who pushed her were the group of girls that had called her “slut” before and thankfully their expulsion served enough of a consequence and a warning for others to stop tormenting her. She also assumed that the siblings, along with Kakashi and Genma had something to do with people leaving her alone. Sakura was grateful for the peace.

She did miss swimming and seeing the pool from her seat made her pout in irritation. During her recovery, she felt like she was falling further behind in her athletics. She would have to practice even harder when she was cleared to return to the pool.

“Does it hurt?”

Sakura whirled around to see that it was Gaara who had asked the question. His teal eyes glanced at her head and she understood what he was referring to. 

“Oh, not anymore—it just itches. They said the staples should be coming out soon. Do I have some weird bald spot on the back?” she laughed nervously.

“No.” He went back to looking out of the window. “Do you miss swimming?”

She followed his line of sight to the pool. “Yes, I want to go back.”

“You’re not scared? After what happened?” His eyes narrowed slightly.

This was the most she had ever spoken to him, she liked his deep voice, it was oddly soothing. “Um, not really. Those girls are gone and I’m here, thanks to you.”

He made a low sound in the back of his throat. “I just happened to see it happen.” He turned back to her, their eyes meeting for a moment. “I’m glad I got to you in time.”

The sincerity in his voice made her flush, “Me too.”

Their conversation ended when the bell rang and class started, but she had a new admiration for Gaara. Maybe he wasn’t as outspoken as his siblings, but he was observant and caring, in his own way.

“We’re having a birthday party next weekend. You guys should come.” Temari handed them all invitations one day during lunch. 

Looking over at the ever stoic Gaara, Sakura smiled. “Sure, we’ll be there.” It must have been her imagination, but she could have sworn the corner of his lip twitched up.

“This sounds awesome! We will definitely be there.” Genma elbowed Kakashi.

“Yes, sounds great,” The silver haired boy agreed.

When the Sibling’s party came around, Sakura dressed in a green skirt and white shirt that she had spent days putting together, wanting her outfit to be perfect. The pins in her hair were the finishing touches as she smiled at herself in the mirror. She looked cute and maybe Gaara would smile at her. It had become a little game for her in the past few months, to try to get the stoic Gaara to smile at her. He had at least gotten to the point of acknowledging her existence with a nod before he sat at his desk, but still, she never saw anything other than indifference on his features.

The siblings lived in a large house on the wealthy side of town. There were lots of kids from school and others she didn’t know, but they all still had a fun time at the birthday party. However, by the end of the night when the adults were tipsy and tired of watching the kids, a handful of them ended up in a game room far away from the adults. Genma whistled at the extravagance of the room.

“This is awesome!” He ran over to a pinball machine in the corner as Kakashi went to an old-school arcade game. Gaara followed him and they decided to play some two-player fighting game.

Sakura went to sit in a circle on the floor with Temari and other boys and girls, curious as to why they were all giggling. One of the other girls from their class called over the three boys to join them in the circle. Genma smirked while Kakashi and Gaara scowled.

Genma sat them down. “Come on, this will be fun.”

Kakashi made a noise of disbelief. “Just because you like it doesn’t mean we all do,”

Sakura didn’t know what this was all about, then someone pulled out an empty bottle.

“You all know the rules, you have to kiss the person the tip points to,” someone else explained.

Sakura flushed. A kiss?

She wasn’t prepared for that, but everyone around her seemed eager. Maybe it wasn’t that bad—she had always wondered what it was like to kiss or be kissed. She glanced around, they all seemed experienced, was it possible she was the only one in the group that hadn’t been kissed yet? If she were to say something against it, she would be made fun off, and maybe, her eyes flitted towards Gaara, who was still as unfathomable as ever. She shook her head; no, she would stay. She wanted to stay.

Every time the bottle spun for what seemed like an eternity, her eyes watched nervously as it slowed, she would pray it wouldn’t land on her and then let out a silent breath when it passed her over. The couples would sneak off into a closet for a minute, and always came back blushing and shy. When the bottle got to her, she hesitated, this was the moment of truth.

“Are you sure, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Kakashi leaned over, placing his hand on her knee for comfort.

She smiled at his concern but nodded. “It’s okay.”

The bottle spun as she watched it intently and prayed. If this was going to be her first kiss, she wanted it to be with someone interesting at least. Seafoam eyes looked up to meet hers as the bottle stopped. The catcalls and whistles didn’t reach her ears because all she could hear was her blood pumping and her heart beating wildly. It didn’t help that the room suddenly felt hot. Her prayers had been answered and now she sat frozen unsure of what to do.

Gaara stood up and held out his hand for her. She took it as he helped her up and they walked into the small closet together. She chewed her lip and twisted her fingers as she stood there in the dark. The subtle glow coming from the edges of the door illuminated them enough so that she could see his eyes and then his lips. 

Her heart thundered in her chest. “I, um, haven’t…”

His hand went up to cup her face gently, much more gently than she had ever expected from him, though she wasn’t sure what she had been hoping for. “Me neither, but I’m glad it’s you,” he said quietly.

The small tremor of nervousness in his voice let her know he was just as unsure as she was, and that was a surprising comfort. Her hands went to his chest, his warmth seeping through his shirt. “Happy birthday,” she said gently as she leaned forward slowly.

He was warm and spicy, like chai tea. His lips pressed hesitantly against hers at first, and then finished with a soft smooch. She smiled as her lips tingled.

“Thank you,” he said with a soft smile, his hands lingering on her face before he released her.

Sakura stood a moment in the darkness, relishing the gratitude in his voice before he opened the door and she was brought back to reality. Hearing the cheers, she suddenly felt very exposed. She looked for Genma and Kakashi, they both looked at her in curiosity and concern, and for some reason, her feet started moving until she was outside in the fresh air.

She had kissed Gaara and she had enjoyed it—more than that, it sounded like Gaara had liked it too. Her fingers went to her lips, trying to remember what that second of contact felt like. Her entire body hummed.

“Sakura, are you okay?” Genma came up to find her, followed by Kakashi.

“Oh gods, I’m sorry, you didn’t have to leave,” she muttered.

“It’s fine,” Kakashi cut her off. “What happened?”

Heat radiated from her face as she looked down to her twisting fingers. “Um, well, we kissed.”

“And? Did you not want to?” Kakashi continued.

She shook her head. “No, I wanted to.”

Genma patted her shoulder as he smiled at her. “Was it bad?”

Again, her head shook, her blush deepening. “No, it was nice.”

Kakashi let out a breath of relief. “Okay, do you want to go back inside?”

The idea of seeing Gaara again so soon suddenly had her stomach fluttering in a way that made her nauseous. “I’m tired, can we go home?”

The two boys agreed, she hooked her arms through theirs as they walked out of the Sand Siblings house. 

They stopped to have dango and anmitsu before taking the train back home. Genma joked it was in celebration of Sakura’s first kiss, which only made her more embarrassed and lash out with a punch to his arm.

“Damn, Sakura, when did your punches start to hurt?” he pouted as he rubbed his arm.

“Can we just stop talking about it? You have a way of making it so embarrassing,” she bemoaned.

Kakashi chuckled. “Well, Gaara didn’t look so composed when he walked out.”

“Really?” Maybe he had liked it too and the thought made her heart skip.

“Do you like him?” Genma teased.

Sakura punched him again. “Shut up, Genma!”

“You do!” he chortled.

Kakashi walked behind them as Genma aggravated Sakura, and she chased him down with angry retorts and hits when she would catch up to him.

If Gaara had any thoughts or feelings about the kiss, he didn’t share them, leaving Sakura in the dark. He went back to being his old self. Maybe he wanted to forget about it, maybe he hadn’t enjoyed it as much as she had. The small dark growth of anxiety settled in her stomach. It wasn’t like she could ask. Or could she? No, she didn’t have that kind of confidence some other girls possessed.

It was hard to be around him—wanting to know what he was thinking. But every time she tried to start a conversation, he was as curt as always, keeping his answers brief and monotone. She gave up, if he wouldn’t talk to her, she couldn’t make him. But her patience was running thin.

She finally snapped one afternoon when Gaara and her were cleaning the classroom alone. The silence between them was overbearing so she took matters into her own hands and turned to him. 

“Was kissing me really that bad?” she blurted out.

He at least had the decency to look confused and shocked. “No, it wasn’t bad.”

“Then why haven’t you talked to me? It’s been weeks.” Her cheeks were aflame from anger and embarrassment.

Gaara looked down, his sea green eyes softened. “We are going to be moving back to Suna. I thought this would hurt less.”

Her heart stopped. “Oh, I see.”

“But I like you, and I liked our kiss. I’ll never forget it,” he managed to say softly, looking down.

Sakura smiled, her cheeks dusting in a pink blush, “Me too.”

Finals came and with that she knew her time with the three siblings was coming to an end. They spent as much time as they could together using studying as an excuse. After so much studying she felt as prepared as she could be when the day of finals came. She reached into her bag, and as she pulled out her lucky pencil, she noticed a note tied around it. Quickly undoing the red string under the table, she unfurled the paper, seeing both Kakashi and Genma’s writing on it.

_You’re going to do great! I know you got this!_

_Good luck._

She reminded herself to bake them more cookies.

The sand siblings had a going away party after school ended. Sakura was going to miss her friends. She really enjoyed hanging out with Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara. They could be rough, but also very loyal. They agreed to keep in touch, exchanging phone numbers and addresses so they could write to each other.

She hugged Temari, Kankuro and lastly Gaara as they said their goodbyes. It was a quick, fleeting moment, but Gaara kissed her cheek before letting her go and turning around to walk off. The school year had turned out to be very interesting and this was the perfect end to it.

Sakura made her way to the woods with Kakashi and Genma.

“I hope we see them again.” Genma sat down in between some roots of their clubhouse tree.

“Yeah.” Kakashi sat down beside him.

She smiled as she sunk to the grassy floor. “I’m sure we will someday.”

Summer was going to feel very different this year, but with Kakashi and Genma, it didn’t matter what happened, as long as they were together. They would always take care of each other. No matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed, please let me know with a comment below.  
> Let me know your thoughts. Favorite part? line? Your reaction? a single emoji, random button smashing, in a different language, it doesn't have to be long winded if you don't want, it all just makes me all warm and fuzzy to hear from you guys.  
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	4. Mixed Signals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,  
> I am happy to share the next chapter of this story.  
> I hope you enjoy!  
> thanks to my awesome beta for this chapter, Mrs.SakuraHatake.  
> Much Love!

Sakura was walking to their clubhouse in the woods. Soft panting noises, muffled laughs, and murmurs stopped her before reaching her destination and ducked behind a large tree. She peeked from the tree she was hiding behind to see Genma making out with a dark-haired girl from his class. Sakura watched as they tilted their heads, their hands wrapped around each other. The girl let out a giggle as he pulled her closer, and he chuckled after her. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. Sakura bit her lip. What would it feel like to kiss like that? 

She had only one another kiss after Gaara. It had happened a few months ago at Homecoming with a boy on a dare. It had been quick, not even memorable other than it being her second kiss, but now it seemed so innocent compared to how Genma was kissing the girl in his lap.

Sakura was entranced. Genma’s hands were moving under the girl’s skirt, over her bare thighs as she buried her hands in his shaggy hair, their kiss deepening. Sakura could feel her heart palpitating in her ribs as he moved his hand up to his partner’s chest. There was another giggle.

“Genma! Stop.” The girl said in a way that lacked any conviction.

“You liked it last time,” he teased.

“Yes, but…” she paused for effect.

“No one is around.” He dropped his hand to her waist and started kissing her neck.

“Oooh, alright.” She giggled again.

Sakura’s eyes were glued to the scene in front of her. She knew she should turn around and leave, but as Genma’s hands slipped under the girl’s shirt, her own breasts tingled. She brought a hand up to calm the beating in her chest and realized her nipples were hard. She bit back a squeak of surprise. The girl started moaning louder. Sakura felt hot and clammy; she needed to leave. She turned on her heel and left as quietly as she could.

As she reached the edge of the woods, she saw Kakashi. Her face was still warm. She must have looked odd because he came up to her with a concerned look on his face.

“Are you okay?” he pressed his hand to her forehead, “You feel warm. Are you getting sick?”

She looked up to his slate eyes full of worry, then down to his lips. Since when did they look so plump and pink? She shook her head. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

He gave her a dubious look. “Were you going to the clubhouse? Want to come with?”

She shook her head, “No, how about we go somewhere else today?” Sakura didn’t want Kakashi to interrupt or see what she had seen. 

He looked at her flushed cheeks and her wide eyes, “Something happened. Tell me.”

Sakura looked down at her feet, “I’m not sure…”

He lifted her chin. “Sakura, what happened?” Her bottom lip was quivering. She wasn’t looking him in the eyes.

Sakura couldn’t lie to Kakashi. With a defeated sigh, “Genma was making out with a girl at the clubhouse,” she blurted out quickly.

He barely caught what she had said, “Genma was making out with a girl?” he said slowly, making sure he understood. She nodded shyly, “Oh. Ok. I guess we could go somewhere else. How about anmitsu?”

She perked up, “Oh, I would love anmitsu.”

He gave her a gentle smile. “I know. Let’s go.”

They started walking down the street. When Sakura looked up at him, it sunk in how much Kakashi had grown. He was taller than her now by almost a head, his chin sharp, his nose elegant, his lips…

“Do I have something on my face?” He looked down at her. She squeaked in embarrassment, and he couldn’t help but smile at her awkwardness.

She twisted her hands. “No, nothing.” She looked back up at him, “You’re just so tall now.”

“You’re just short.” He teased.

Sakura pouted, “Shut up.”

He laughed and ruffled her hair. “You’ll always be little Sakura to me.”

Sakura bristled, “Hey, I’m growing too.” She looked down at her chest. Well, they weren’t big, but it was something. She crossed her arms over her chest, “I, uh, kissed a boy at Homecoming.” She didn’t know why she said it, it’s not like she needed to prove her maturity to Kakashi, but she didn’t want to feel so innocent and left behind after seeing Genma with that girl _._

Kakashi looked at her curiously. “You kissed a boy at Homecoming?”

Her cheeks turned scarlet, “I—I’m not so little anymore.”

“Did you like it?” Kakashi wasn’t sure how to feel about the information she had blurted out, but the color change in her face was at least entertaining. It’s not like it was her first kiss, but it felt odd that he hadn’t known about it. She always told them everything.

“Like it? I don’t—I was—I don’t know.” She finished lamely.

“Oh, then it wasn’t that good then.” She was starting to get a ruddy color. He smiled. He liked how her brows furrowed when she was aggravated.

“I wouldn’t say it wasn’t good. I just the only other kiss I have to compare it to is the one with Gaara forever ago.” She chewed on her lower lip. “Have you kissed a girl?”

Kakashi looked up, “Ah, well, I’m not as popular as Genma.”

Sakura chuckled, “I find that hard to believe, all the girls talk about you two.”

He gave her a sidelong glance. “All the girls?”

“Oh, don’t act like you don’t know. You got all those chocolates for Valentine’s Day.” She bumped into his side playfully.

“I just don’t put any thought into it.” He scratched the back of his neck.

“So, you haven’t kissed anyone.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“So, you have.” She grinned, having the affirmation. “Did you like it?” Now it was her turn to watch his ears turn pink.

“It was nice,” Kakashi mumbled.

“What makes it nice?” Now her curiosity was out.

“I don’t know.” He turned away from her, hiding his face. “Why are you asking all these questions?”

“I guess— I just don’t want to be bad at it,” she admitted. Her mind supplied the image of Genma and the girl sealed at the lips.

“I dunno, not too much spit or tongue,” he said awkwardly.

“Tongue?” She hadn’t even thought about tongue when kissing. She wanted to learn more.

“It’s just something that you learn by doing, I suppose. You’ll learn with time.” Kakashi just wanted this conversation to end.

Sakura grabbed his hand, stopping him from moving. He turned back to look at her, and she dropped her eyes, embarrassed at what she was about to ask. “Kakashi, can you teach me?”

He stood mute, flabbergasted that she would ask something like that, “Sakura, I…”

“Please, Kakashi, I trust you. I don’t want to kiss someone I really like and be awful at it.” She knew her face was scarlet, but she stared at him with determination.

Kakashi just stood in the middle of the sidewalk, eyes wide, trying to process what she was saying. Her eyes evergreen and fierce, and her lips, smooth and plump. He shook his head. “No, I couldn’t do that with you.”

“Oh…” Sakura lowered her eyes. She should have known. It was stupid to ask him, and now she felt her eyes sting.

He let out a huff. She was going to cry. “Sakura, don’t cry.”

She sniffled and rubbed her eyes. “I’m not!” She said with a defiant stomp forward.

There was something in the way she looked at him, trying to be strong, and the fact that he could never refuse her made him reach for her face. She held a breath as he bent down, their noses touching. He saw her lashes flutter close, and, in a heartbeat, he pressed his lips to hers. It was quick. He separated from her. Emerald eyes shot up to meet his in uncertainty.

“That’s it?”

“What?” Kakashi was taken aback by her unimpressed proclamation. He had just kissed her. What more could she want?

“Well, that was really fast. Nothing like what Genma and that girl were doing,” Sakura pouted. It was no different than the quick kisses she’d had before.

Kakashi clenched his teeth. “Seriously? You want more?” She looked up at him expectantly. He scoffed, “Fine.” He grabbed her waist and kissed her again. This time he held on to the back of her neck. His hands gently guided her to tilt her head, so their lips slotted together as they kissed.

Her heart jumped to her throat. His lips were soft and warm, his lean body flush with hers. She didn’t know what to do with her hands. Not wanting to seem passive, she reached up to grab his shirt on his chest. She followed his movements, relaxing her mouth, tilting her head as he directed. His hand moved down to her waist, holding her firm. This time when he let her go, she was dazed, breathless, her fingers and toes tingled.

The pressure in his lower stomach was like a punch. He hadn’t expected it to affect him like this. It was just Sakura, his best friend for years. Yet, she had been so smooth and sweet. Her fingers still clung to his shirt as her eyes opened slowly. Her lips looked even pinker than before. Why had he never noticed how cute she was?

He cleared his throat, “Is that better?”

Sakura nodded slowly, smiling as a blush spread across her face. “Yeah, much better.” She pressed her lips together, tasting the remnants of his kiss. “That was… nice. Thank you, Kakashi.”

He let her go, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Just don’t tell anyone.”

“Ok, promise.” She looked down, unsure how to ask, “Was I good?”

He stopped walking again, running his hands through his hair in discomfort. What should he say? That her kiss was like spring, bright and sweet? That the day seemed lighter? Colors more vivid? 

“It was nice,” He couldn’t look at her as he answered.

Her heart leapt, and she grinned. With an energetic hop forward, she smirked and turned back to him. His cheeks still dusted rosy, his gray eyes downcast, but she knew her Kakashi enough that it was from shyness.

“Race you to the shop.” She bolted down the street.

It took a moment for Kakashi to realize what was happening, but as he saw her cotton candy hair whip around as she ran, all he could do was chase after her.

Sakura sat down as usual in her chemistry class. The teacher droned on about Avogadro and moles. She tried her best to make sense of what Miss Chiyo was saying and take notes, but her mind was elsewhere. She was thinking about Neji Hyuga, sitting a few rows ahead of her to the right. She wondered how his long hair would feel between her fingers. Like every girl in school, she had a little crush on the handsome, rich, and serious Neji Hyuga. With his tall, lean body, the swim team was the perfect place to show off his athleticism. Being captain of the swim team, Kakashi often mentioned how talented Neji was and how arrogant, which often put the two at odds. Then there were his eyes, a light lavender that always made her want to swoon. Her daydream had consumed her so thoroughly that she missed what the teacher had said as the class groaned.

“Yes, you have a project, it's due in two months. I am going to be picking your partners for you, and I don’t want to hear any complaining.”

Sakura perked up in attention. She just hoped for a partner that wouldn’t make her do all the work because she was the smart one. She glanced at Neji’s back. No, that was too much to hope for, and the probability only decreased as the teacher pulled out a bowl with everyone’s names inside. Miss Chiyo started reading off names as she plucked the pieces of paper from a beaker.

Half the class already had been paired when Neji’s name came up. Sakura sighed as his perfectly arched brows quirked up.

“Neji, your partner is…” the teacher reached back into the bowl, unfurling a scrap of paper. “Sakura.”

Sakura sat up, looking over at Neji. Their eyes met in acknowledgment. He nodded and gave her a small smile that she returned shyly, and then he went back to his book. She breathed out. She had been paired with the Neji Hyuga! The envy from all the girls, and some boys, in the classroom was pointed at her back like a poisoned dart, but she couldn’t help but feel like a cat that had cream for dinner.

After the teacher paired everyone up, they had a few minutes before class ended to get together with their assigned partner and go over the project's details. Neji walked over to her desk, and Sakura forgot how to breathe. He was so effortlessly good looking as he sat down in the seat in front of her and took out his phone.

“We should exchange numbers so we can coordinate.” He tapped on the screen.

She reminded herself to breathe. “Oh, yeah, of course.” She pulled out her phone, they traded and typed in their numbers into each other’s phones.

“I’m glad I got paired up with you,” he stated as he put his phone away.

Sakura was surprised. She didn’t think he knew of her existence, let alone actually want to work with her. “Oh?”

“You’re smart, so I don’t have to worry about you not doing your part well.” The corner of his mouth quirked. “I’ll text you later so we can get together.”

“Oh, yes. Let me know.” She felt her face heat up at his smirk.

“You’re on the girls swim team, right?” he looked back at her, she nodded, “Good, then our schedules should be similar. See you.” He walked back to his desk to gather his things.

Sakura was frozen. The shrill ring of the bell reverberated through her bones, bringing her back down to earth. She jumped up, shoving her things in her backpack, and ran out. It wasn’t a dream. Neji Hyuga was her partner! The broad smile on her face didn’t leave her for the rest of the day.

During swim practice, her excellent mood translated to great lap times. She was beating some of her personal best records. Her positivity was so apparent that one of her teammates noticed.

“You’re in a good mood today,” the brunette teased.

Sakura took off her goggles and smiled sheepishly. Tenten was a year older, the same year as Neji, and also in their chemistry class. “I guess.”

“This wouldn’t happen to be because Neji’s your partner?” Tenten grinned.

Sakura shook her head, “No!” She exclaimed too quickly for the other girl not to grin wider. “Though it’s nice to be paired with someone smart so I don’t get stuck with all the work.” She tried to underplay how accurate Tenten was about Neji’s effect on her mood.

“Sure,” Tenten drew out the word and laughed before turning a sharp eye back, “It helps he’s super hot.”

Sakura blushed, “Well, I’m not blind.” The girls giggled.

“Just be careful. He’s kind of an ass. Handsome and rich really go to his head.” Tenten put her goggles back on and continued with training.

Sakura took a break to mull over the warning. She knew Tenten and Neji were friends. It wasn’t the first time she had heard the Hyuga boy was overconfident and arrogant, but damn him for being so hot. At least she could look at him.

Sakura walked into a café, one of those hip ones aimed to be youthful and energetic. She looked around, not seeing her partner waiting, she picked a table. She looked at her watch; she was ten minutes early. Before she could get up and order a drink, Neji walked through the door. How did he manage to look like a supermodel? He was just in jeans and light grey henley that hugged his lean torso, the fabric tight enough to allow glimpses of the defined muscles underneath.

He saw her, smiled softly, and walked over, putting down his backpack next to hers. “Thanks for meeting me here.”

“Yeah, no worries.” She smiled brightly for him.

“I’ll get us something to drink and snacks. What would you like?”

He was being so nice. Sakura had expected him to be more standoffish but was pleasantly surprised. “Thank you, um, an iced coffee is fine. Lots of cream and sugar, please.”

“Be right back.” With a small nod and upward quirk of his lip, he left to the ordering counter.

Sakura couldn’t help but watch his back as he walked off. She shook herself from fantasizing about his firm rear and pulled out her books and laptop.

He came back with drinks and some snacks. “Sorry, I’m starving.” He had a sandwich with a cheese and fruit platter. “Let’s get started.” He leaned forward, shifting her laptop between them so they could both see.

Sakura did her best to seem as nonchalant as possible as he scooted next to her, their thighs touching. His waist-length hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, but she could smell his shampoo, like a forest after a rain. It was nerve-racking to have the most popular guy in school sitting so close to her. She had never been the type of girl that boys paid attention to. There was nothing particularly remarkable about her. Her prominent forehead, wide-set eyes, small bust, and lack of any womanly curves didn’t turn any eyes. There were plenty of other girls that were well on their way to being women. They got the boys. Sakura just watched, longing for someone to pay attention to her. Of course, it wouldn’t be Neji. He was way above her on the coolness bracket at school. This was just a fluke of randomized partnering. All she could do was enjoy the time she had. And hopefully not make a fool of herself.

They spent a few hours in the café working. By the end of it, Sakura was sweating from his closeness. She could smell his spicy scent; she could almost count his lashes. Gods, he was so hot.

Neji sat up, “I think that’s enough for today.” He placed his hand over hers as she closed her laptop. “I knew it would be fun to work with you.”

She was going to faint; he was touching her! His hands were big, or maybe hers were small, but they were warm. She flushed. “It’s nice to work with you too. I don’t get stuck doing all the work,” she chuckled nervously.

He wrapped his hand on hers, his thumb rubbing circles over it. “Smart and cute.”

Her heart stopped. She wondered if she was dreaming. “Uh… I…” Her face bloomed crimson as he reached up to tuck a hair behind her ear. She laughed, not knowing what else to do. Like an invisible force pulling her forward, or maybe he leaned to her, but she almost didn’t feel when his lips met hers because her brain was still processing his words.

This had to be a dream. There’s no way Neji Hyuga was kissing her in a café! Yet, she could taste him, cool and fresh, and then it was over, leaving her dazed.

He chuckled nervously, “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. You’re too pretty.”

Out of instinct, she just blurted out the first thing that came to her mind, “I’m not that pretty, I have a flat chest and a big forehead.”

He laughed, leaned forward again, and gave her another soft kiss. “You’re very pretty. You have beautiful eyes. Come on. I’ll take you home.”

She didn’t know how they ended up in the back seat of his electric blue Audi A5. He had parked near her neighborhood, and she had somehow made her way into his lap, making out as his hands rested on her hips. His tongue slipped past her lips, and she gingerly reached out with hers. She let him guide her, following his lead. The feeling of their tongues against each other was an odd but pleasurable one. She gasped as his hand moved lower to her backside.

He broke off from her, “Sorry, do you want to stop?”

After a short pause, as if she would ever tell Neji to stop. Thinking back on that day, she had seen Genma and the girl making out at the clubhouse; it was finally happening to her. There was no way she would back down now. Genma had touched that girl in more private places.

Sakura shook her head and went back to kissing him, “No, don’t stop. I was just surprised, is all.” She really liked kissing him. Now she understood why everyone was always doing it and talking about it. She never wanted to stop. Even his hands on her rear felt nice as soon as the surprise of him touching something forbidden wore off.

It felt like they had been in his car for hours, but it was only six o’clock when he finally dropped her off. He pulled her into another kiss.

“Sakura, can I ask a favor?” He looked bashful.

“Sure, what’s up?” She was curious about what he could want from her.

“I really like you, and I don’t want people to talk badly. People are pretty judgmental about me and the girl I’m with.”

She had heard the mean, snarky comments people would say behind his last girlfriend’s back. “Oh.” She didn’t think she could handle that kind of criticism. “I won’t say anything.”

He smiled gratefully at her and went back for one more kiss. “You’re a really good kisser.”

She flushed in pride at his praise. “Thanks, you too.” Reluctantly, she grabbed her bag and stepped out of his car. Before heading inside and coming back to reality, she took a moment to watch him drive off. She walked into her house, and it all felt shinier. She bounded up the stairs, feeling lighter than the helium they had been studying. Without thought, she threw her bag down and fell into her bed with a dopey smile.

It now made sense: Genma and that girl in the woods. Making out was fun. The way Neji touched her was electric, exciting, and heady.

“Sakura, dinner’s ready!”

Her mom’s voice floated up the stairs. “I’ll be right there.” She called back. She jumped out of bed, looked at herself in the mirror, making sure everything was in place.

She did her best to be her usual self at home and school, but sometimes she would catch herself daydreaming about kissing Neji again. Especially when she was in chemistry, staring at his back and his mahogany hair, and she could almost feel her fingers running through his hair.

“You’ve been odd lately.” Kakashi looked over at her as they walked home together one day.

“Yeah, you’ve been weird.” Genma agreed as he took a bite of his apple.

Sakura raised her head; she had been thinking of the next time she would have Neji’s lips against hers. “Hmm? Weird how?”

Both boys shrugged, but it was Genma who answered, “Just not yourself. Distracted, quiet, pensive.”

She gave them a big smile. “I love that you guys watch over me. Thank you.” She took a hand from each of them and squeezed in reassurance.

“But really, is everything alright?” Kakashi returned the pressure to her hand.

Sakura didn’t want them to worry. She knew how overprotective they could be when it came to her. Usually, she was grateful for their protectiveness, but this was something she wanted to keep to herself. “Just have a lot going on, two large projects, swim meets coming up, college applications, and student council duties. I have a lot on my mind.”

Kakashi ruffled her hair as he smiled, and she scowled. Then Genma pulled her into a bear hug. “We need to go do something soon. Go to the beach or something.”

“That sounds nice.” She agreed as they walked home.

She felt bad not telling Kakashi and Genma about Neji, but all those feelings fell away the next time she kissed Neji. Whenever they met to work on their project, they spent half the time making out. She found out she liked getting kissed on her neck and his hands on her backside. They started meeting at his place. His mother was rarely home, it gave them more privacy and freedom, and he became bolder. His hands moved up her waist to the underside of her breasts. She made a sound of surprise as she jerked back, away from his hands.

“I’m sorry, I just want to touch you.” He nipped at her neck where she liked, moving his hands back to a comfortable area.

She whimpered, she remembered Genma and that girl, how he had slid his hand up her shirt. Maybe it would feel good too. “It’s ok.” Her cheeks reddened.

Neji grinned, diving back to her lips. He pushed her down on the couch. She wrapped her legs around him, and he started to undo the buttons of her top, revealing her light pink bra. His mouth moved down to her collarbone.

Sakura was breathing hard, unsure of what was expected of her. He kissed her exposed skin eagerly, his hands moved to cup her breasts. “Oh!” Her chest tingled. Shocks of something pleasant shot through her as his hands grazed over her covered breast.

“Is this okay?” he muttered against the top of her mounds.

“Yes, it feels good, Neji,” she panted.

“So pretty.” He tugged at the straps. “Can I see you?” His lilac eyes pleaded as they met hers.

She couldn’t deny him anything when he looked at her like that. She nodded slowly, chewing her lip nervously. Hopefully, he wasn’t disappointed. He reached behind her and unclasped her bra. Sakura held her breath as he plucked it off her and threw it on the floor. He stared at her for a few moments, but it felt like an eternity, until finally, he moved his hand up, his thumb brushing over her hardened peaks.

“You’re gorgeous.” He palmed her mounds, feeling their weight in his hands, pressing his fingers into her sensitive flesh. “Don’t be shy.” He went back to kissing her neck.

Sakura was embarrassed. No one had seen her bare chest other than her doctor and her mom. The way her body reacted was unexpected. It was on another level from their make-out sessions. His touches ignited her skin with a stronger sensation that she was unfamiliar with. Even her soft moaning and panting as he explored her sounded different to her ears. Somewhere in the haze of being swept up by his attention, she tugged off his shirt, her hands roaming his torso, feeling each other’s skin.

Every time they met to work on their project, their explorations of each other’s bodies escalated. The next time, Neji took off her skirt, then it was his pants. While she had felt his hardness pressing against her during their make-out sessions, this was the first time she could see the outline of his erection clearly through his boxer briefs. Curiosity wanted her to inspect him, to compare the real thing with the sanitized images she had seen in her health class.

She didn’t get much chance to study him as he pulled her back to his lap, grinding against each other. “Oh! Neji that feels good…” she moaned between kisses. His hardness rubbed against her covered mound with each roll of their hips.

He made a sound of agreement as they continued. There was a moment where he jerked up and hit the top of her folds. A sharp whine escaped her as he did it again. Sakura didn’t know it could feel this good. Her skin was hot, and her heart thundered, her breathing ragged, and then she felt him press her down, and a gushing, hot, wetness seeped onto her panties. She watched his face as he groaned in pleasure, his eyes closed, and held her on his lap.

Sakura had heard of orgasms, but seeing one was a different experience entirely. He was breathing hard, with sweat dripping down his brow as his body shuddered under her. Slowly, they laid down on his bed, his arms around her waist as he came back down. He was so god damn sexy it hurt her stomach.

He pulled her to his chest, and she happily sighed as she breathed him in. “Neji, how was it?” Sakura was unsure what to ask.

He chuckled, playing with her hair, “It was great. Thanks.” He sat up. “I should change. I’ll take you home.”

Sakura nodded, feeling the sticky residue between her thighs. With a quick stop in the bathroom to wipe off her legs, she got dressed. Neji drove her home, stopping at their usual park to make-out a little longer before dropping her off. Sakura was so glad that he was satisfied and happy and that it had been her to do it. The moment she got home, she rushed to take a hot, steaming shower. As she washed away the stickiness, she gasped at how sensitive she was down there as her fingers glided over her folds. She felt a slickness that wasn’t water or soap.

She had paid enough attention in health class to know what it all meant; she was aroused. After their previous make-out sessions, she had been left with trickling moisture that seeped into her panties and a slow embering light in her stomach. But now, it felt like a burning ache deep in her belly. Her fingers grazed over the apex of her folds, and a squeak of pleasure flew past her lips. She had only gotten a taste of this surge earlier, but it seemed she could replicate it.

Gingerly, her fingers carefully touched and explored her body, finding places that felt good. With trembling legs, she leaned on the wall for support. The memory of Neji’s kisses burned on her skin. Her other hand traced her neck, remembering his lips, how he had liked to move down to her breasts and lick her nipples before sucking on them. Her fingers were a pale imitation of how his tongue swirled. Her body was overflowing with heat, the steam from water rushing down her body added to the fog.

“Sakura, dinner!”

Startled, the yearning in her blood flowed away with her mother’s shrill call. Quickly, she turned off the water. She stepped out with a puff of breath that didn’t completely dispel the smoldering in her belly. The towel felt unusually soft on her skin. Every pump of her heart felt both heavy and light at the same time. It was a warm, pleasant buzz that floated over her skin.

It was so much harder to pretend she didn’t want to run up to Neji and pull him into a dark corner at school. She wanted to see his face of pleasure again, to see what else would make him groan so breathlessly again. And she wanted more of that feeling for herself too. Her skin itched, and her feet tapped as she chewed on her pen in chemistry class. They weren’t supposed to have another study session for another two days, and they weren’t supposed to talk to each other more than necessary at school.

She glanced at her phone. Maybe she could text him? It wasn’t something they really did. He wasn’t the texting type, more than just relaying information. He didn’t do small talk or flirt, and she didn’t even know where to start. She sighed. It would have to wait. Everything seemed out of focus, so hard to concentrate. Even keeping her pace in the pool or trying to pay attention to Genma and Kakashi. It was all so fuzzy. All she could think about was how hot Neji’s skin had felt on hers.

“Earth to Sakura!” Genma snapped his fingers in front of her face.

“Hmmm? What?” she snapped at attention. Kakashi raised his eyebrow in concern or humor; she wasn’t sure. “What?” she asked again.

“Nevermind,” Genma scoffed in amusement.

They really knew how to irritate her. “You don’t get to not tell me now,” she groused.

“It’s not our fault you weren’t paying attention,” Genma sniggered and turned back to Kakashi, “Anyways, dude, she was all over you yesterday. She wants you. You should ask her out.”

It was her turn to scoff, in derision this time, “Oh, you’re just talking about girls.”

“And? You’ve had that boy crazy gleam in your eyes for weeks now but won't talk to us about it.”

Sakura huffed in annoyance. “You’re dumb. No I haven’t.” She looked over at Kakashi. His eyes flitted in a way that let her know he didn’t believe her. “Whatever.” She changed direction. “Another girl up your skirts, Kakashi?” 

“I suppose so,” he answered stoically.

“I don’t know why you just don’t go out with her. She’s a package,” Genma rattled on about the girl.

Sakura tuned them out again. She wondered if any guys talked about her the same way Genma talked about girls. Who was she kidding? She wasn’t anywhere near as pretty as the girls Genma got or the ones that chased after Kakashi.

“Ok, what’s wrong with you?” It was Kakashi this time that pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Nothing,” she mumbled.

His slate eyes narrowed at her. “Genma, shut up. There’s more to a girl than asses and boobs.”

Confused as to why Kakashi’s ire was directed at him, the brunet tisked, “Obviously, but I’d have to get to know them first to know their personality.”

“You are both damn idiots!” Sakura snarled. “Stop treating girls like we are one thing or another. Body or brains.” She poked her finger into Genma’s chest. “We aren’t just ass and boobs for you to grope and toss away when a prettier one comes along.” Then turned her finger to Kakashi, “And there’s nothing wrong with telling a girl you like her. Any part of her, brains or body, we like compliments. Just balance them out.” She finished for both of them.

Both boys watched her with wide eyes at her outburst. Not that they weren’t used to it, but the way her lips trembled and her eyes shifted away made it more personal than her usual temperamental explosions. They glanced at each other and shrugged, watching her back as she stomped off.

“Hey, wait, Sakura.” Genma ran after her. “Is that why you’ve been all moody lately? Not enough balanced compliments?”

More like any compliments. Hell, she would even accept someone telling her she had pretty hair. But being asked so blatantly just set her off. “Just, shut up.” She tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Cuz you know we think you’re amazing,” Genma started.

“Shut up!” she screamed at him. “Just stop talking! I know you guys love me like a sister and all that. But…” she sucked in her bottom lip between her teeth. It was too embarrassing to say out loud, even to them. To tell them she wanted to be the girl guys chased, that talked about her ass, or her legs or something stupid like that. “Do you think I have nice boobs?” she blurted out.

Both boys stared at her in total confusion. “Boobs?” Their eyes flitted down.

She flushed down to her neck and turned away, arms crossing over her chest. “Ugh! Nevermind! I’ll see you tomorrow.”

They were still stunned as she ran off. Genma turned to Kakashi, “What was that about?”

The silver-haired boy shrugged. “No idea. Maybe she’s being bullied again?”

Now, Genma looked off in concern. “You think? About her boobs?”

Kakashi started walking, “I don’t know. Not like I pay attention to what girls worry about.”

“And that’s your problem.” Genma fell into step beside him. “You need to start paying attention to girls.”

It wasn’t that Kakashi didn’t notice girls. There were plenty of pretty ones, a few he had even met in dark hallways to hear their confessions or just to have a kiss stolen. He just didn’t see the appeal to be constantly sucking face like Genma did. The act of kissing was only special to him because it happened so infrequently, something to treasure. Unlike Genma, who treated it like a sport. Something to perfect, to get better at, to get as many points as possible.

Chocolate eyes inspected Kakashi, silent as the other boy thought. How Kakashi could be so unreadable was sometimes infuriating. “Do you not like kissing? Or girls?”

At that, Kakashi stopped. “I didn’t say that. It’s just not a game to me like it is to you. It's personal. I don’t need the entire school seeing me make out with a new girl each week.”

“But you don’t even tell me, and I’m your best friend,” Genma cast his eyes down. Maybe they weren’t as close as he thought.

“You have a big mouth,” There was a slight smirk as he punched the other boy on the arm.

Seeing the teasing tilt of his lips, Genma grinned back. “I can keep a secret. I just want you to have fun. You’re always so serious. And sure, the girls love that, but nothing wrong with enjoying life.”

Kakashi made a murmur of appeasement, and the brunet went back to talking about his girl of the week. Watching the way he lit up, his chest puffed, his spine straightened, Kakashi had to wonder if that confidence was something that came with having someone to “enjoy life” with. Maybe he could try to open up. The last girl was pretty. And smart. He shoved his hand in his pocket and felt for the scrap of paper that she had given him with her number on it. No harm in calling her.

When Kakashi made it home, he was surprised to see his father in the kitchen. He was usually at work by now. “Hey,” he greeted cautiously.

Sakumo was over the stove. He looked over his shoulder with a small smile. “Hi, son. How was school?”

Kakashi set his bag down and went to help. “Nothing exciting. Just Genma trying to convince me to date someone.”

His father chuckled, “Genma sure gets around, doesn’t he?”

It wasn’t often that he heard his father laugh. He nodded with a smile. “Yeah, wants me to follow in his footsteps, I guess.”

“Well, nothing wrong with having some fun. As long as you’re safe.”

Kakashi flushed. He understood the insinuation. They had the talk before during a very awkward camping trip where he couldn’t escape. “Dad, it's not like that. Just a girl came up to me and gave me her number.”

“Are you going to call her?” Sakumo asked lightly.

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Do you like her?”

“I don’t know.” He felt himself getting hotter.

“Do you want to get to know her?”

He paused before answering. Thinking about it. “Maybe.”

“Then call her.” He said encouragingly. “Seems she’s waiting for your call. It’s not polite to keep a lady waiting.”

He couldn’t argue that, but it wasn’t something he did. Flirting wasn’t something that he had practiced or perfected as Genma had. “What should I say to her?”

Sakumo chuckled, “You know, it’s been so long, I wouldn’t know what advice to give you.”

At that, Kakashi unconsciously glanced outside. “How did you and mom meet?” He hadn’t ever really asked, unsure his father wanted to talk about her. He always became so gloomy when the subject was brought up.

Sakumo lowered his shoulders, “I know I don’t talk about her much.” Kakashi kept silent, not daring to look hopeful. “I know I should tell you more about her. I just—I’ve never gotten over it. Losing her.” He reached over, pressed his thumb to the mole under his son’s lip. “She always shone so brightly. No matter where she was, everything else wasn’t important when she was around. Not having her light, it’s very dark.” He grazed his fingers down the curve of his son’s nose. “She was strong-willed and kind, much like you.”

Kakashi cautiously looked up to see the misty look of remembrance in his father’s eye. “I’m sorry.” He didn’t know why he was apologizing. He just felt like he should.

His father looked stunned and gave him a sad smile. “No, don’t apologize. I’m sorry. I’m not here as much as I should be, and I’m not strong enough to tell you about her more often.” His hand went up to ruffle his son’s hair.

“Dad, I know you do your best. I have everything I need. We spend plenty of time together when you can.”

“You’re growing up to be such a fine man. She would be so proud. I’m proud.” Sakumo went back to stirring the pot. After a long pause, he took a breath. “We met because of a runaway dog. There was a puppy, scared and shivering, in the middle of the road. We both stopped and ran out of our cars to get the puppy to safety.”

There was a smile he hadn’t seen much of before on his dad, so he stayed quiet, waiting for more.

“We got into an argument on who would take the dog. She won, of course, but only after I got her to agree to see me again.” He grinned this time.

“A dog?” It was the first time Kakashi had heard of a dog. But it now made sense why his request for a dog was always denied.

“Yeah, a dog.” His voice changed again, something low and sad.

“Oh.” Kakashi had reached the line. This was as much as he was getting out of his dad today. “So, did you get out of work early?” He went back to chopping eggplants.

“I asked for the day off. Well, for the rest of the week. I thought we could go camping. There’s going to be a meteor shower.”

“That sounds cool.” With that, they settled back to their peaceful small talk as they cooked. It was nice to have his dad home on a weekday, to spend this time with him. And this time, he had even gotten to hear more about his mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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